12/31/2013

I received a most wonderful, surprising gift in the mail today, a calendar from Aura Rhythmics in Canada! It has wonderful pictures and plenty of room where I can write down the information of international competitions.

2014 promises to bring a lot of excitement in the gymnastics world. First, Yana Kudryavtseva has made an absolutely breath-taking climb to the top spot in the world in 2013 and I expect to see more of her strength and elegance. Second, with Maksymenko's retirement, we can expect new stars in the Ukraine, and, hopefully, they will bring a lot of expression to the carpet once again. Bulgaria also said "good bye" to a long-standing star, Silvia Miteva. My personal hopes for the continuation of the Bulgarian style are with Neviana Vladinova and Sara Staykova. I would have loved to see Simona Peycheva compete again,a pleasure all fans deserve. Time will tell if we will have this honor.

In the meantime, let us all rejoice in the beauty and strength of our favorite gymnasts. We value their talent and hard work very much, and they value us, too. After all, they, too, "live for the applause, applause, applause..."

So, cheers! Here is to shining medals, loud ovations, to unforgettable performances, and to fair competition!